Method of playing a wagering card game

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method of playing a card game including allowing a player to wager on an outcome of a first hand of cards winning, a second hand of cards winning or no hand of cards winning. The method includes dealing the first hand of cards and the second hand of cards. Each the hand of cards has three cards. The method next includes designating the outcome as no hand of cards winning if: the first hand of cards has a group of cards from a pre-selected plurality of groups of cards and the second hand of cards has a group of cards from said pre-selected plurality of groups of cards.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority as a continuation-in-part of U.S.Non-provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 12/577,052 filed Oct. 9,2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of playing a card game. Inparticular, the invention relates to a method of playing a wagering cardgame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

This invention relates to wagering games. Many card games have beendeveloped over the years and some are particularly adapted for gambling.One class of such games includes a dealer who deals cards and one ormore players who place wagers based on the cards that the dealer deals.Examples in this regard include poker, blackjack, and baccarat.

With increases in the world population and the continued and expandinginterest in gambling, there is a need for a new and improved card game.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention is directed to a wagering game, which may be particularlyuseful for casinos.

In some embodiments, the invention is directed to a method of playing acard game comprising the steps of: receiving one or more wagers relatingto a potential outcome of a game, wherein the potential outcome mayinclude a first final hand of cards outranking a second final hand ofcards, the second final hand of cards outranking the first final hand ofcards or neither final hand of cards outranking the other; dealing afirst partial hand of cards, a second partial hand of cards and at leastone community card; determining a rank for the first initial hand and arank for the second initial hand, wherein the first initial handcomprises the first partial hand and the at least one community card andthe second initial hand comprises the second partial hand and the atleast one community card; comparing the ranks of the first initial handand the second initial hand, respectively, with a qualifying hand rank,wherein an initial hand qualifies to become a final hand by outrankingthe qualifying rank; dealing a card to the partial hand corresponding toany non-qualifying initial hand, wherein the non-qualifying initial handbecomes a final hand thereafter; comparing the ranks of the first andsecond final hands to determine a final outcome; and paying an award ifthe rank of the outranked final hand of the first and second final handsis greater than or equal to a preset award rank.

In some variations, the one or more wagers of the aforementioned methodmay include a first wager associated with the first final handoutranking the second final hand, a second wager associated with thesecond final hand outranking the first final hand, a third wagerassociated with the first final hand and the second final hand havingthe same rank, and a fourth wager associated with the rank of anyoutranked final hand being greater than or equal to the preset awardrank. It should be understood that receiving any one of the first,second or third wagers may be optional or mandatory.

In some variations of the aforementioned methods, the step of dealing afirst partial hand of cards, a second partial hand of cards and at leastone community card further includes dealing a first partial hand of twocards, a second partial hand of two cards and a single community card.

In some variations of the aforementioned methods, the hand rankscomprise, from lowest rank to highest rank, the hands known as pair,flush, straight, non-suited three of a kind, straight flush, and suitedthree of a kind. In some variations, the qualifying hand rank of theaforementioned methods is a pair, and the preset award rank is a pair ofKings.

In some variations of the aforementioned methods, the ranks areconventional poker or poker-like ranks. In some variations, the firstpartial hand and the second partial hand are any number of cards, suchas three cards each, four cards each, five cards each or six cards each.

The aforementioned methods may further include the step of paying awardscorresponding to any wagers placed on a potential outcome which matchesthe final outcome. The award may be a multiple of the wager.

In some variations, the step of paying an award if the rank of theoutranked final hand of the first and second final hands is greater thanor equal to a preset award rank further comprises paying an award of anamount which is at least partially dependent on the rank of the higherranked final hand.

The present invention is also directed to a system for providing a game,which includes: an input device configured for receiving one or morewagers relating to a potential outcome of a game, wherein the potentialoutcome may include a first final hand of cards outranking a secondfinal hand of cards, the second final hand of cards outranking the firstfinal hand of cards or neither final hand of cards outranking the other;a processor with access to a memory device configured for: (i) dealing afirst partial hand of cards, a second partial hand of cards and at leastone community card; (ii) determining a rank for the first initial handand a rank for the second initial hand, wherein the first initial handcomprises the first partial hand and the at least one community card andthe second initial hand comprises the second partial hand and the atleast one community card; (iii) comparing the ranks of the first initialhand and the second initial hand, respectively, with a qualifying handrank, wherein an initial hand qualifies to become a final hand byoutranking the qualifying rank; (iv) dealing a card to the partial handcorresponding to any non-qualifying initial hand, wherein thenon-qualifying initial hand becomes a final hand thereafter; (v)comparing the ranks of the first and second final hands to determine afinal outcome; and an output device configured for paying an award ifthe rank of the outranked final hand of the first and second final handsis greater than or equal to a preset award rank.

The aforementioned system may be configured so that the one or morewagers received by the input device include a first wager associatedwith the first final hand outranking the second final hand, a secondwager associated with the second final hand outranking the first finalhand, a third wager associated with the first final hand and the secondfinal hand having the same rank, and a fourth wager associated with therank of any outranked final hand being greater than or equal to thepreset award rank.

The output device may be configured for paying awards corresponding toany wagers placed on a potential outcome which matches the finaloutcome.

The input device may be configured for receiving cash or electronicdebiting an account, and the output device may be configured for payingawards by electronically crediting an account.

The system may include a display device configured for displaying thegame. In some embodiments, the input device, processor, output deviceand display device are all mounted in a single housing. However, itshould be understood that the system may comprise online gaming ormobile remote gaming systems as well.

In some embodiments, the system is a single housing which includesmultiple player positions. Each player position may include a displayfor showing virtual cards or one main display may be shown to simulatethe game. The player position may include buttons or a touch screen asthe input device for receiving player selections and wagers. The singlehousing may further include a virtual dealer shown on the display or aseparate upright display to appears as if the dealer is standing behindthe table as in a live table game.

In other embodiments, a method of playing a card game including allowinga player to wager on an outcome of a first hand of cards winning, asecond hand of cards winning or no hand of cards winning is provided.The method includes dealing the first hand of cards and the second handof cards. Each the hand of cards has three cards. The method nextincludes designating the outcome as no hand of cards winning if: thefirst hand of cards has a group of cards from a pre-selected pluralityof groups of cards and the second hand of cards has a group of cardsfrom said pre-selected plurality of groups of cards.

There is also provided a method of conducting a wagering card gameincluding allowing a player to bet a chip on an outcome of a first handof cards paying out, a second hand of cards paying out, or no hand ofcards paying out. The method includes dealing the first hand of cardsand the second hand of cards such that both the first hand of cards andthe second hand of cards remain hidden. The first hand of cards and thesecond hand of cards each include three cards. The method includesrevealing the first hand of cards and the second hand of cards. Themethod includes designating the outcome as no hand of cards paying outif the first hand of cards and the second hand of cards each have atleast one from the group consisting of a pair of aces, a triple, athree-card flush and a three-card straight, if otherwise determining theoutcome as the first hand of cards paying out if the first hand of cardsis stronger than the second hand of cards, and if otherwise determiningthe outcome as the second hand of cards paying out if the second hand ofcards is stronger than the first hand of cards. The method includescollecting the chip. The method includes giving the player two chips ifthe player bet on the first hand of cards paying out and the first handof cards paying out is the outcome, giving the player two chips if theplayer bet on the second hand of cards paying out and the second hand ofcards paying out is the outcome, and giving the player more than twochips if the player bet on no hand of cards paying out and no hand ofcards paying out is the outcome.

There is further provided a method of conducting a betting card game.The game includes the steps of

-   -   a) allowing a player to place a bet on an outcome of a first        hand of cards winning, a second hand of cards winning or no hand        of cards winning;    -   b) dealing a common card, the first hand of cards and the second        hand of cards, the first hand of cards and the second hand of        cards initially consisting of two cards each;    -   c) revealing the common card, the first hand of cards and the        second hand of cards;    -   d) expanding the first hand of cards to include the common card;    -   e) expanding the second hand of cards to include the common        card;    -   f) determining if at least one of the first hand of cards and        the second hand of cards consists of a triple, a three-card        flush or a three-card straight, or if both the first hand of        cards and the second hand of cards consist of a pair, and if so        in either case, dealing no more cards to the first hand of cards        and the second hand of cards and proceeding to step j;    -   g) determining if only one of the first hand of cards and the        second hand of cards consists of a pair, and if so, dealing        another of said first hand of cards and said second hand of        cards an additional card, and if otherwise, dealing the first        hand of cards the additional card and dealing the second hand of        cards a further card;    -   h) for each hand of cards combining the common card with two        other cards from said hand of cards, said two other cards being        so selected to try to obtain at least one from the group listed        by order of preference of:        -   I) at least one of a triple, a three-card flush, and a            three-card straight,        -   II) a pair of aces,        -   III) a pair of highest possible value, and        -   IV) one or more single cards of highest possible value, aces            bearing the highest value,    -   i) for each hand of cards discarding any unused cards left over        after step h;    -   j) determining the outcome based on:        -   I) if both the first hand of cards and the second hand of            cards have at least one from the group consisting of a pair            of aces, a triple, a three-card flush and a three-card            straight, no hand of cards winning,        -   II) a hand of cards having at least one of a triple, a            three-card flush and a three-card straight wins over a hand            of cards having a combination pair and single where the            combination pair has a value that is less than a pair of            aces,        -   III) a hand of cards having a combination pair of higher            value and single wins over a hand of cards having a            combination pair of lower value and single,        -   IV) a hand of cards having a single of highest value wins            over a hand of cards with singles of lower value relative to            said single of highest value, if the single of highest value            of the first hand of cards is identical to that of the            second hand of cards, a hand of 5 cards with a single of            second highest value wins, and if both the single of highest            value of the first hand of cards and the single of second            highest value of the first hand of cards are identical to            the single of highest value of the second hand of cards and            the single of second highest value of the second hand of            cards, respectively, a hand of cards with a single of third            highest value wins, and        -   V) if both the first hand of cards and the second hand of            cards have identical cards, no hand of cards winning; and    -   k) paying out the player if the bet matches the outcome.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription 20 of preferred embodiments thereof given, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a game table layout according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the game illustrated in FIG. 1 insimplified form;

FIG. 3 is a table for determining the outcome of the game as referred toin FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the basic steps of a game according to anembodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, there is indicated generally a game table layout10, accordingly to one example, for playing the card game as hereindisclosed. The game table layout 10 comprises a substrate in thisexample cloth 11 on which printed matter may be inscribed.

The card game as disclosed herein uses a deck of cards comprising one ormore conventional decks of cards. In one preferred embodiment a total ofsixteen decks are used, with eight decks of one color and eight decks ofanother color, though this is not required.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first step in the game is to shuffle the deckof cards. Preferably a shuffle machine (not shown) may be used for thispurpose. The cards may then be placed in a dealer's shoe (not shown).Shuffle machines and dealer's shoes are well known to those skilled inthe art and therefore will not be described.

Next a first card may be drawn from the top of the deck. A dealer maydraw this card. The numerical value of the drawn card will determine howmany cards are subsequently removed (or burned) face down from the topof the deck. In one preferred embodiment, an ace has the value of 1 andface cards have the value of 10. Thus, if for example a jack is drawn asthe first card, ten further cards are drawn off the top of the deck facedown and discarded. The cards may for example be discarded by placingthem in a discard rack 13, shown in FIG. 1. The discarded cards may besequentially counted out loud one by one as they are discarded by thedealer.

The next step in the game is for one or more players to place one ormore bets on the outcome of the game. The one or more players can bet onthe outcome of a first hand winning, the outcome of a second handwinning and/or the outcome of no hand winning.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the game table layout 10 provides aplurality of spaces as, in this example, indicated by annulus sectorspace 26, for each of the players. In the example shown, the game tablelayout 10 provides nine spaces numbered one through nine to allow nineplayers, respectively, to play the game. For the sake of simplicity onlyspace 26 will be discussed in detail with the understanding that therest of the spaces for the players are similar.

The space 26 includes a portion 28 with the marking FIRST HAND. If theplayer assigned to space 26 wants to bet on the first hand winning, theplayer places his bet, such as money or chips, within portion 28 of thespace 26.

The space 26 includes a portion 30 with the marking SECOND HAND. If theplayer assigned to space 26 one wants to bet on the second hand winning,the player places his bet, such as money or chips, within portion 30 ofthe space 26.

The space 26 includes a portion 32 which in this example has a circle,though in another example it may be marked as NO HAND WINS. If theplayer assigned to space 26 one wants to bet on no hand winning, theplayer places his bet, such as money or chips, within portion 32 of thespace 26.

In one preferred embodiment, players may each bet on either the outcomeof the first hand winning or the second hand winning, and they may alsoeach at the same time bet on the outcome of no hands winning.

Once all the bets have been placed, the dealer may call an end to thebetting by for example saying, “No more bets.”

Referring both to FIGS. 1 and 2, the method next involves dealing anumber of cards face down. Referring to FIG. 1, a first card or commoncard 12, a second card 14, a third card 16, a fourth card 18 and a fifthcard 20 are each dealt out face-down. More specifically, the second card14 is dealt to the first hand, the third card 16 is dealt to the secondhand, the fourth card 18 is dealt to the first hand and the fifth card20 is dealt to the second hand. The first hand in this example ispositioned within a rectangular space 22. The second hand in thisexample is positioned within a rectangular space 24.

The cards are then revealed by the dealer. In one preferred embodimentthe common card 12 is revealed first.

The next step in the game is to combine the first hand, with its secondcard 14 and fourth card 18, with the common card 12. The second hand,with its third card 16 and fifth card 20, is also combined with thecommon card 12.

If in the combination of these three cards for either the first hand orthe second hand there is either a triple, a three-card flush or athree-card straight, no more cards are dealt in the game. The gameproceeds to the determine outcome stage of the game.

If in the combination of these three cards for both the first hand andthe second hand there is at least a pair, no more cards are dealt in thegame. The game proceeds to the determine outcome stage of the game.

If only one of the first hand (the second card 14, the fourth card 18and the common card 12) and the second hand (the third card 16, thefifth card 20 and the common card 12) results in a pair, then generallyspeaking (apart from an exception discussed below) a further card isdealt to the other of the first hand and the second hand. For the handwhich now has three cards plus the common card 12, the next step is tomake a best combination of three cards that includes the common card 12.This will be discussed in more detail later with reference to FIG. 3.

If neither the first hand nor the second hand results in a pair, anadditional card is dealt to the first hand and a further card is dealtto the second hand. For each hand the next step is to make a bestcombination of three cards that includes the common card.

Once no more cards are to be dealt, the remaining cards of the deck maybe taken out of the dealer's shoe by the dealer and placed in thediscard rack 13.

The game next proceeds to determine the outcome of the game stage asfollows.

The point value of the cards, in one preferred embodiment, is the sameas the point value of cards in poker. Thus, the relative value of eachindividual card, from strongest to weakest, is dictated by the followingrank order: ace, king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,four, three, and two. Joker cards in this preferred embodiment are notused.

The best combination of three cards that includes the common card, thecombination that should be made if possible, is one that includes agroup of cards from a pre-selected plurality of groups of cards. Thepre-selected plurality of groups of cards in one preferred embodimentconsists of: a triple, a three-card flush and a three-card straight. Forthe sake of clarity, a natural hand is defined hereby as at least one ofa triple, a three-card flush or a three-card straight. The rankingwithin the natural hand, from strongest to weakest combination, is asfollows: 1) a three-of-a-kind all of the same suit; 2) a three-cardstraight flush; 3) a three-of-a-kind of varied suits; 4) a three-cardflush; and 5) a three-card straight.

For the sake of clarity examples of the above hands may be: for a threeof-a-kind all of the same suit, e.g. three cards where each one is aseven of hearts; for a three-card straight flush, e.g. a five of spades,a six of spades and a seven of spades; for a three of-a-kind of variedsuits, e.g. a seven of hearts, a seven of spades, and a seven ofdiamonds; for a three-card flush, e.g. a two of diamonds, a jack ofdiamonds, and an ace of diamonds; and for a three-card straight, e.g. afive of hearts, a six of diamonds, and a seven hearts.

After a natural hand, the next best combination of three cards is onethat includes a pair of aces. After this, a pair of cards of a certainvalue beats a pair of lower value. For example if the first handcomprises a pair of jacks and the second hand comprises a pair of nines,the first hand wins over the second hand. If there are no pairs in thethree cards of the first hand that includes the common card or in thethree cards of the second hand that includes the common card, then acombination of three cards (that includes the common card) having asmany single cards of as high a value as possible should be selected. Inthe preferred embodiment as herein disclosed aces are high.

The best combination of three cards that includes the common card shouldbe selected based on the above set out rankings, with the rule being toselect the top or strongest combination of three cards possible.

Any cards for the first hand and the second hand that are not used inthe above set out combinations should next be excluded from the firsthand and the second hand, respectively.

Referring now to FIG. 3, this shows a table for determining the outcomeof the game. The game can have only one of three outcomes: the firsthand wins, the second 20 hand wins, or no hand wins.

One column 34 in the table of FIG. 3 is entitled as “first hand”, whichis meant to refer to the best combination for the first hand, comprisedof the common card and two cards from the first hand. Likewise adjacentcolumn 36 entitled “second hand” refers to the best combination for thesecond hand, comprised of the common card and two cards from the secondhand. Column 38 entitled “outcome” lists the outcome of the game basedon the scenarios set out in columns 34 and 36.

Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combined withthe common card results in a natural hand and a best combination of twocards from the second hand combined with the common card results in apair other than a pair of aces, the outcome of the game is that thefirst hand wins.

Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combined withthe common card results in a pair other than a pair of aces and a bestcombination of two cards from the second hand combined with the commoncard results in a natural hand, then the outcome of the game is that thesecond hand wins.

Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combined withthe common card results in a natural hand and a best combination of twocards from the second hand combined with the common card results in anatural hand, the outcome of the game is that no hand wins.

Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combined withthe common card results in a natural hand and a best combination of twocards from the second hand combined with the common card results in apair of aces, the outcome of the game is that no hand wins.

Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combined withthe common card results in a pair of aces and a best combination of twocards from the second hand combined with the common card results in anatural hand, the outcome of the game is that no hand wins.

Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combined withthe common card results in a pair of aces and a best combination of twocards from the second hand combined with the common card results in apair of aces, the outcome of the game is that no hand wins. This is trueregardless of whether one hand has a better kicker. A kicker refers to athird card of higher value compared with that of the highest third cardof the other hand.

Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combined withthe common card results in a pair of cards of higher value and a bestcombination of two cards from the second hand combined with the commoncard results in a pair of cards of lower value relative to the pair ofcards of higher value, the outcome of the game is that the first handwins. Where a best combination of two cards from the first hand combinedwith the common card results in a pair of lower value and a bestcombination of two cards from the second hand combined with the commoncard results in a pair of higher value relative to the pair of lowervalue, the outcome of the game is that the second hand wins.

If none of the above situations arises, a best combination of two cardsfrom one of the first hand and the second hand combined with the commoncard that results in the hand with the single of the highest valuewinning. For example, if the best combination of the first handcomprises an ace, ten, and nine (e.g. the common card), with the cardsbeing of varying suits, and the best combination of the second handcomprises a king, nine (the common card), and six, with the cards beingof varying suits, the first hand wins because an ace is of higher valuethan a king.

If the singles of the highest value are the same (regardless of suit),the best combination with the single of second highest value wins. Forexample, if the best combination of the first hand comprises a jack(e.g. common card), nine and seven (with the cards being of varyingsuits) and the best combination of the second hand comprises a jack (thecommon card), ten and two (with the cards being of varying suits), thesecond hand wins because a ten is of higher value compared to a nine.

If the singles of the highest value and the singles of the secondhighest value are the same (regardless of suit), the best combinationwith the single of the third highest value wins. For example, if thebest combination of the first hand comprises a queen, ten (e.g. thecommon card), and six (with the cards being of varying suits), and thebest combination of the second hand comprises a queen, ten (the commoncard) and five (with the cards being of varying suits), the first handwins because a six is of higher value compared to a five.

If the singles of the highest value, singles of the second highest valueand singles of the third highest value are the same (regardless ofsuit), the outcome is that no hand wins. For example, if the bestcombination for both the first hand and the second hand comprises ajack, nine, and three (with at least some of the cards for each handbeing of varied suit), no hand wins.

If the outcome is the first hand winning, the cards of the first handmay be offset or pushed forward by the dealer so that the cards arevisually offset from the second hand. If the outcome is the second handwinning, the cards of the second hand may be offset or pushed forward bythe dealer so that the cards are visually offset from the first hand.

After the step of determining the outcome has finished, the bets arecollected by the dealer. Losing bets may be collected by the dealerfirst, beginning with the losing first hand and/or second hand bets. Thelosing bets may be placed within a storage device (not shown) of somekind such as, for example, a slush tube. Storing devices for bets arewell known to those skilled in the art and therefore will not bedescribed.

The winning bets, if any, are then paid out by the dealer. If a playerbet on the outcome of the first hand winning and the first hand wins,the player who so bet is paid out. In one preferred embodiment saidplayer is paid even money. In other words this payout occurs on a 1:1basis. For example, if the player bet $100.00 on the first hand winningand this is what results, the player retains his initial $100.00 and ispaid an additional $100.00. Losing bets, that is bets if any for thesecond hand winning or no hand winning, are collected and kept by, forexample, the casino. In one example payouts totaling over $100.00 mustbe verified by a supervisor.

If a player bet on the outcome of the second hand winning and the secondhand wins, the player who so bet is paid out. In one preferredembodiment said player is paid even money. In other words this payoutoccurs on a 1:1 basis. Losing bets, that is bets if any for the firsthand winning or no hand winning, are collected and kept by the casino.

If a player bet on the outcome of the no hand winning and no hand wins,the player who so bet is paid out. This payout occurs at greater than1:1 odds. In one example of a preferred embodiment, the payout for theoutcome of no hand winning is on a 40:1 basis. For example, if theplayer bet $100.00 on the outcome of no hand winning and this is whatresults, the player retains his initial $100.00 and is paid anadditional $4,000.00. Losing bets, that is bets if any for the firsthand winning or the second hand winning, are collected and kept by thecasino.

Where the outcome is no hand winning and the first hand and the secondhand both involve a natural hand or pair of aces, in this case one ofthe hands will have a stronger hand compared to the other, based on theranking of the natural hands and aces as discussed previously above (apair of aces rank below natural hands). A player whose bet correspondsto the stronger hand is paid back is original bet.

For example, if the natural hand from the first hand is stronger thanthe natural hand of the second hand (the outcome being no hand winningbecause there are two natural hands) and a player bet on the first handwinning, said player does not make any money from the game because hisbet does not match the outcome. However, the player does get his bet orchips returned. Thus the term “winning” in “no hand winning” is used inthe sense of making money: the player does not make a return on his betif he bet on a given hand. The player does not “win” money in thissituation but does get his original money returned if his bet (eitherthe first hand winning or the second hand winning) corresponds with thehand having the strongest natural hand.

For example, if the common card was an ace of hearts, the top two othercards from the first hand included a queen of hearts and a king ofhearts, and the top two other cards from the second hand are a queen ofspades and a king of spades. Because the first hand forms a natural handof a straight flush, this is stronger than the natural hand of thesecond hand, which is merely a straight.

Had the player bet on the second hand winning and the outcome is no handwinning with the first hand having a stronger natural hand compared tothe natural hand of the second hand, he would lose his bet and getnothing.

The game may then be played again. The dealer will collect the cards setout of the game table layout 10 and place them in the discard rack 13.The dealer may then announce “loading” and, with the go ahead of thesupervisor, take the cards from the discard rack 13 and load them in theshuffle machine once again. The now re-shuffled cards may then be placedin the dealer's shoe and the game repeated as set out above.

While it is generally the case that if only one of the first hand(comprising the second card 14, the fourth card 18 and the common card12) and the second hand (comprising the third card 16, the fifth card 20and the common card 12) results in a pair, then a further card is dealtto the other of the first hand and the second hand, this is not alwaystrue. If only one of said first hand and said second hand results in apair and the other of said first hand and said second hand results inneither a natural hand nor a pair of equivalent or higher value and noadditional card could make a difference in changing the outcome for thesaid other, then no more cards are dealt and the game proceeds to thedetermine the outcome stage.

An example of the above described scenario is as follows: the commoncard is a nine, the first hand consists of two tens and the second handconsists of a four and a two. An additional card is not given to thesecond hand because no card exists that would result in two cards fromthe second hand combined with the common card beating the two tens ofthe first hand combined with the nine (common card).

In one example the game as herein disclosed may adopt the followingterminology. The players that may sit in spaces 1 through 9 may bereferred to as the participants of the game. The game as a whole may bereferred to as wish card poker. The common card 12 may be referred to asthe wish card. The first hand may be referred to as “PLAYER”, replacingall mention of “FIRST HAND” on the game table layout 10 and substitutingthe term “PLAYER” therefor. The second hand may be referred to as“MAKER”, replacing all mention of “SECOND HAND” on the game table layout10 and substituting the term “MAKER” therefor. The outcome of no handwinning may be referred to as the bad beat bonus. Portion 28 of space 26may be referred to as “PLAYER′S BOX”, portion 30 of space 26 may bereferred to as “MAKER′S BOX”, and portion 32 of space 26 may be referredto as “BONUS BOX”.

In this example, the game is played out as set above, with the exceptionthat the MAKER is dealt the first card after the wish card has beendealt, then the PLAYER is dealt a card, followed by the MAKER beingdealt a card, and followed by the PLAYER being dealt a card. Also,during the revealing cards stage, the wish card is first revealed,followed by the cards of the MAKER, and then followed by the cards ofthe PLAYER.

Another variation of the game wish card poker is called squeeze wishcard poker. Here the game is played as before with the exception that,after the step of placing bets, a participant who bets on, for example,the MAKER is given the cards of the MAKER by the dealer to touch (orsqueeze), look at, then reveal (or flip over). Likewise a participantwho bets on the PLAYER is given the cards of the PLAYER by the dealer totouch (or squeeze), look at, then reveal (or flip over). This variationof the game may be used for VIP gambling, where the minimum acceptablebet is relatively high.

In another variation of the game that may be for VIP gambling, the deckof cards (comprising the one or more conventional decks of cards) isonly used once and are then destroyed. Also the dealer's shoe may beonly ever used once and then destroyed.

In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the first hand may bereferred to as the “Master” or “Master's hand” and the second hand maybe referred to as the “Maker” or “Maker's hand.” It should be readilyapparent that other names may be used instead of “first hand” and/or“second hand” while still remaining within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment, which is generally referredto as method 150, in which the nomenclature used for the first andsecond hands are the Maker's and Master's hands, respectively. In step152, wagers are received from any participating players. In someembodiments, players may wager on the final first hand (final Masterhand) having a higher ranking than the final second hand (final Makerhand), the final second hand (final Maker hand) having a higher rankingthan the final first hand (final Master hand), and the final first andsecond hands having the same rank (that is, a tie).

The ranking system may vary according to the invention, but the handsmay be similar in nature to poker hands, and the ranking system may bebased on the odds of achieving certain combinations of cards. Forexample, the ranking may be, from highest rank to lowest, as follows:suited three of a kind, straight flush, three of a kind with differentsuits, straight and flush. In the embodiment of method 150, the rankingsfor the three card hands are, in order of highest to lowest, as follows:suited three of a kind, straight flush, non-suited three of a kind,straight (with Ace, two, three being the lowest ranked straight), flush,pair (with Aces being the highest ranked pair) and then the highestsingle card (Ace being the highest card, then King and so on). In theranking system of method 150, the Ace is always the high card exceptwhen used as a straight with a two and three.

In some embodiments, players may also wager on a bonus game, such asspecific rankings being achieved by other or both hands or some otherpreset criteria being met. In method 150, players may place wagers onwhat is referred to herein as a “wish” bonus, which pays out if one ofthe final first or second hands is of at least a certain rank, but of alower ranking than the other hand. It should be understood that otherwagers may be placed, such as ante wagers, as may be required by thejurisdiction or house in which the game is played. Furthermore, any orall wagers may be made mandatory or optional.

In step 154, shuffled or otherwise randomized cards are dealt to form apartial first or Master hand and a partial second or Maker hand. Itshould be understood that the terms final and partial are used forillustrative purposes and to enhance understanding of method 150 and assuch are non-limiting of the scope of the invention. In this embodiment,two cards are dealt to form each partial hand, that is, two cards to theMaster and two cards to the Maker. In some embodiments, the first cardis dealt to the Maker, the second card to the Master, third card toMaker, and fourth card to Master. The cards may be dealt partially orfully face down or face up to a specified location on a table layout.Other dealing methods may be used as discussed herein or as known in theart, including for example, burning or discarding a card between dealingeach card or prior to dealing all cards. Furthermore, different amountsof cards may be dealt in other embodiments of the invention.

In step 156, a community card is dealt either face up or face down. Inthis embodiment, only one card is dealt. The card is referred to as the“Wish” card, but other nomenclature and amounts of cards are within thescope of the invention.

In step 158, the Wish card dealt in step 156 is combined with the eachof the Maker and Master partial hands dealt in step 154 for purposes offorming initial Maker and Master hands and determining the rank thereof.Thus, the rank of the initial Maker hand is based on the two cards dealtto form the Maker partial hand and the community card, whereas the rankof the initial Master hand is based on the two cards dealt to form theMaster partial hand and the community card.

In step 160, the ranks of the initial Maker and Master hands arecompared with preset criteria to determine whether the Maker and/orMaster hands satisfy the preset criteria to qualify as the final Makerand/or Master hands. In this embodiment, the preset criteria relate tothe initial Maker and Master hands achieving one or more qualifyingpreset hand rankings. Thus, the rank of the initial Maker and Masterhands determined in step 158 is compared with the qualifying preset handrankings to determine if one or both initial hands are equal to a presetranking and thus “qualify” as a final hand according to method 150.

In method 150, the qualifying preset hand rankings are pair or betteraccording to the hand ranking system above. Thus, in step 162, if eitherhand has a rank equal to a pair or better (i.e., a rank equal to a pair,flush, straight, non-suited three of a kind, straight flush, suitedthree of a kind) then the hand is now a final hand in step 166.Alternatively, if one or both hands in step 162 do not have rank whichis equal to the qualifying rank, then the one or both hands are dealtanother card in step 164 and become final hands in step 166.

Whether the hand either qualifies in step 162 or does not qualify instep 162 and receives another card in step 164, once it becomes a finalhand in step 166 the ranks of the final Maker and Master hands arecompared to one another. In some embodiments, such as method 150, thefinal rank is based on the highest rank achievable according to theranking system discussed above using three cards wherein the wish cardmust be one of the three cards. For example, if one of the hands doesnot qualify in step 164, and that hand receives an additional card instep 164 that forms a straight with the cards of the partial hand onlybut not with the community Wish card, the final rank determined andcompared in step 166 will not be a straight because the Wish card is notincluded.

If the ranks are the same, that is, the final Maker and Master hands arecompared and determined to be tied in step 168, then in step 170 any tiewagers placed are paid out. These wagers may be paid as a fixed amountor odds payout based on a multiple of the amount wagered, such as 40to 1. If there is a tie, in some embodiments, wagers placed on the Makeror Master hand having a higher rank than the other hand are lost, whilein other embodiments, these wagers push.

If the hands are not tied in step 168, then it is readily apparent thatone of the hands is of a higher rank than the other. In step 172, thelower ranked hand is compared with preset bonus criteria to determine ifthe bonus criteria is satisfied. In method 150, the preset bonuscriteria relates to the lower ranked hand being one or more preset bonusranks or at least greater than a preset bonus rank. If the rank of thelower ranked hand is not equal to or greater than the bonus rank in step172, the bonus criteria is not satisfied and wagers placed on the higherranked hand are paid in step 174. Thus, a wager on the Maker hand instep 152 would be paid if the Maker hand had a higher ranking than theMaster hand and the Master hand did not have a ranking equal to orgreater than the bonus rank. Payouts may be fixed, odds payouts orsimply one to one, while any bonus wagers placed and wagers placed onthe lower ranked hand would be lost.

If the rank of the lower ranked hand is equal to or greater than thebonus rank in step 172, then wish bonus wagers are paid out in step 176.The wish bonus may be an odds payout, such as 45 to 1, or a fixedamount. In some embodiments, wagers placed on the lower ranked hand towin would still be lost and the wagers placed on the higher ranking handwould push. Only wagers placed on the wish bonus would win. For example,the bonus rank may be a pair of Kings or better. Thus, if the lowerranked or losing hand is a pair of Kings or better than the bonuscriteria is satisfied. If the Maker hand is a pair of Kings and theMaster hand is a straight, then in some embodiments wagers placed on theMaker hand would be lost, wagers placed on the Master hand would push,and bonus wagers would be paid to all players that placed the bonuswager in step 152. Alternatively, the payout of the bonus wager may beshared among all players that placed the bonus wager.

In some embodiments, a bonus wager may be added which is a progressivewager, that is, utilizing a conventional progressive jackpot system inwhich each wager placed, which may be an additional progressive bonuswager, is counted and a portion thereof is incremented to a jackpotaward amount. The gradual increase of the progressive jackpot amount maybe displayed on a progressive meter for players to view. An additionalprogressive wager may be received in a method such as method 150 andpaid out if the progressive criteria is met in accordance with theinvention. In some embodiments, the progressive criteria is satisfied ifthe first and second partial hands and community card are equal to fiveAces. In such embodiment, any players that placed a progressive wagerwould share the progressive award amount. Also, under suchcircumstances, the hands be final hands and tied. Thus, the first handand second hand wagers may push or lose, depending on the embodiment,while tie wagers would win. In some embodiments, the progressive bonuswager may only be placed if a wager on the outcome of the comparisonbetween the first and second hands is also placed, that is, either firsthand outranking the second hand, the second hand outranking the firsthand or the rank of the first and second hand being the same or tied.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the methodsdescribed herein may be incorporated in a system in accordance with theinvention using virtual representations of cards and table layouts. Thesystem of the invention may include various computer and network relatedsoftware and hardware, such as programs, operating systems, memorystorage devices, input/output devices, processors, servers with links todata communication systems, wireless or otherwise, and data transceivingterminals, and may be a standalone device or incorporated in anotherplatform, such as a mobile device. Those skilled in the art will furtherappreciate that the precise types of software and hardware used are notvital to the full implementation of the methods of the invention so longas players and operators thereof are provided with useful access theretoor the opportunity to play the game as described herein.

While exemplary methods and applications of the methods of the inventionhave been described herein, it should also be understood that theforegoing is only illustrative of a few particular embodiments withexemplary and/or preferred features, as well as principles of theinvention, and that various modifications can be made by those skilledin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, the described embodiments should not be considered aslimiting of the present invention in any way. Accordingly, the inventionembraces alternatives, modifications and variations which fall withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

1. A method of playing a card game comprising the steps of: receivingone or more wagers relating to a potential outcome of a game, whereinthe potential outcome may include a first final hand of cards outrankinga second final hand of cards, the second final hand of cards outrankingthe first final hand of cards or neither final hand of cards outrankingthe other; dealing a first partial hand of cards, a second partial handof cards and at least one community card; determining a rank for thefirst initial hand and a rank for the second initial hand, wherein thefirst initial hand comprises the first partial hand and the at least onecommunity card and the second initial hand comprises the second partialhand and the at least one community card; comparing the ranks of thefirst initial hand and the second initial hand, respectively, with aqualifying hand rank, wherein an initial hand qualifies to become afinal hand by outranking the qualifying rank; dealing a card to thepartial hand corresponding to any non-qualifying initial hand, whereinthe non-qualifying initial hand becomes a final hand thereafter;comparing the ranks of the first and second final hands to determine afinal outcome; and paying an award if the rank of the outranked finalhand of the first and second final hands is greater than or equal to apreset award rank.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one ormore wagers include a first wager associated with the first final handoutranking the second final hand, a second wager associated with thesecond final hand outranking the first final hand, a third wagerassociated with the first final hand and the second final hand havingthe same rank, and a fourth wager associated with the rank of anyoutranked final hand being greater than or equal to the preset awardrank.
 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein receiving any one of thefirst, second or third wagers is mandatory.
 4. A method according toclaim 1, wherein the step of dealing a first partial hand of cards, asecond partial hand of cards and at least one community card furtherincludes dealing a first partial hand of two cards, a second partialhand of two cards and a single community card.
 5. A method according toclaim 4, wherein the hand ranks comprise, from lowest rank to highestrank, the hands known as pair, flush, straight, non-suited three of akind, straight flush, and suited three of a kind.
 6. A method accordingto claim 5, wherein the qualifying hand rank is pair.
 7. A methodaccording to claim 6, wherein the preset award rank is a pair of Kings.8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the ranks are conventionalpoker ranks.
 9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising thestep of paying awards corresponding to any wagers placed on a potentialoutcome which matches the final outcome.
 10. A method according to claim10, wherein the award is a multiple of the wager.
 11. A method accordingto claim 1, wherein the step of paying an award if the rank of theoutranked final hand of the first and second final hands is greater thanor equal to a preset award rank further comprises paying an award of anamount which is at least partially dependent on the rank of the higherranked final hand.
 12. A system for providing a game, comprising: aninput device configured for receiving one or more wagers relating to apotential outcome of a game, wherein the potential outcome may include afirst final hand of cards outranking a second final hand of cards, thesecond final hand of cards outranking the first final hand of cards orneither final hand of cards outranking the other; a processor withaccess to a memory device configured for: (i) dealing a first partialhand of cards, a second partial hand of cards and at least one communitycard; (ii) determining a rank for the first initial hand and a rank forthe second initial hand, wherein the first initial hand comprises thefirst partial hand and the at least one community card and the secondinitial hand comprises the second partial hand and the at least onecommunity card; (iii) comparing the ranks of the first initial hand andthe second initial hand, respectively, with a qualifying hand rank,wherein an initial hand qualifies to become a final hand by outrankingthe qualifying rank; (iv) dealing a card to the partial handcorresponding to any non-qualifying initial hand, wherein thenon-qualifying initial hand becomes a final hand thereafter; (v)comparing the ranks of the first and second final hands to determine afinal outcome; and an output device configured for paying an award ifthe rank of the outranked final hand of the first and second final handsis greater than or equal to a preset award rank.
 13. A system as recitedin claim 12, wherein the one or more wagers received by the input deviceinclude a first wager associated with the first final hand outrankingthe second final hand, a second wager associated with the second finalhand outranking the first final hand, a third wager associated with thefirst final hand and the second final hand having the same rank, and afourth wager associated with the rank of any outranked final hand beinggreater than or equal to the preset award rank.
 14. A system as recitedin claim 13, wherein the input device is configured for receiving cashor electronic debiting an account.
 15. A system as recited in claim 13,wherein the output device is configured for paying awards correspondingto any wagers placed on a potential outcome which matches the finaloutcome.
 16. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the output deviceis configured for paying awards by electronically crediting an account.17. A system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a display deviceconfigured for displaying the game.
 18. A system as recited in claim 17wherein the input device, processor, output device and display deviceare mounted in a single housing.
 19. A system as recited in claim 18,wherein the single housing includes multiple player positions.
 20. Asystem as recited in claim 10, wherein the single housing includes avirtual dealer display.